Name: Braised Pork Belly (Hmong Sweet Pork)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 2 h
Ingredients: 2 to 2.5 lbs pork belly, skin on and cut into bite-sized cubes; 6 eggs, hard boiled; 6 cloves garlic, roughly minced (26g); 1 lemongrass stalk, bruised and tough outer layers removed (44g); sliced ginger (20g); sliced galangal (20g); ½ cup sugar; 2 tbsp oil; salt to taste; 2 cups water, divided into 2; 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce; ¼ cup oyster sauce; 1 tbsp fish sauce; 2 tbsp dark soy sauce

Description

Braised pork belly is a classic dish loved by many cultures. Here, I’ll show you the Hmong version that’s heavy on aromatics with meat tender enough to be cut with a spoon.

Ingredients

Scale

2 to 2.5 lbs pork belly, skin on and cut into bite-sized cubes
6 eggs, hard boiled
6 cloves garlic, roughly minced (26g)
1 lemongrass stalk, bruised and tough outer layers removed (44g)
sliced ginger (20g)
sliced galangal (20g)
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste
2 cups water, divided into 2
3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce

Instructions

Start by caramelizing the sugar – heat the sugar in a nonstick pan on low heat. Watch closely and stir more often as it continues to melt. Cook until the sugar is completely melted and has a dark amber color (do not rush this process, or you risk burning it). Slowly add 1 cup of water to the pot and stir until the sugar has melted again. Set aside for later.
Add oil to a large pot on high heat and add the aromatics. Stir for about 1 minute, until the fragrance is released. Add in the pork belly and season with salt to taste. Stir-fry for about 5-7 minutes until the meat has browned.
Pour in the remaining 1 cup of water and the sugar mixture from earlier. Then add in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce and dark soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to a low simmer. You may also need to remove the scum from the broth as it rises to the top.
Stir the pork every 20 to 30 minutes and check on the tenderness. It should braise for about 1 to 1.5 hours depending on the thickness of the meat.
Once the pork is soft to your liking, remove the lid and bring to a rigorous boil. Add the peeled hard boiled eggs to the pot and continue to cook until the liquid has thickened, about 20 to 30 minutes (this step will soften the pork belly as well so keep this in mind when simmering because you don’t want the meat to be too soft/mushy). Pair with steamed white rice and enjoy!

Notes

all of my favorite ingredients can be found here on my Amazon storefront!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour + 45 minutes

Keywords: braised pork belly, sweet pork, hmong food